Socket for fluorescent tubes



SOCKET FOR FLUORESCENT TUBES Filed May 9, 1946 She'ets-Sheec 1 I INVENTOR. y 6 v Carl Edward Swanson- JTTORNEY Nov. 16, 1948; c. E. SWANSON 2,454,017

SOCKET FOR FLUORESCENT TUBES Filed May 9, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Carl Edward 5100125022 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 16, 1948 UNITED ES PATENT o-F-Fics "2254,01 7" FomFLUoREs'oENw TUBES Carl Edward s wansomfiliicago, Ill kii iiiea'tioa may e;isasysefiai fios'etator 4-Gla-imsw (c1. me -32s) My invention is dircted to novel sockets for rel'e'asably retaining fluorescent tubes.

It isan objectof myinventicm to"'provide" sockets for fluorescent tubes havi'rig noyel structural fe'atures includir ig a' p air of' spaced apart adjac'entsecured plates or guards 'offnonc"cinductive' material; one of such latesbeing: provided with holes for the receptio'ri andretention of'the studs of a fluorescent tube" and i having between said plates a pair of "elongated Y metal --contacting strips or terminal 'niembers "which are zrdapted to engage the ends of' thetube' contact 'studs; and which I carries Irfeans for flexibly mounting the" socket to I a metalsupport; suchasa reflector, hood; shield or" the like.

A further object o'f' 'myirivention is thei-pro vision of novel sockets for fluorescent tubes which are yieldably and fiexibly mounted"with respect to the carrier element so thateitherone of a pair of'opposed-sockets may be manually flexed outwardly oraway'from the other of said sockets-so as'to insert 'and seata tube into" the sockets with the tube contact studs being yielda'bly' engaged by: metal cohtacflmembers of; saidsoekets respectively. A further obiec't and accomplishmentis the provision-of soc'kets having the aforesaid characteristics 'an'd' having suitably shielded spaced apart metal contact strips in each socketwhich norriiallfwill yield ably engage the respectiveendsof a fluorescent tube;

Other and further important objects and accomplishments of my invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims.

On the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged elevation" of one of my novel sockets looking at" the iiisidefac'eth'e'r''of'.

Fig. 2 is avieW lo'oking'a't'the e'dge'side of the socket and showing a fragment of a tube in mounted position.

Fig. 3 is an elevationlooki'ngat'the normally underside of a conventional reflector and showing one of various positions in which mynovel sockets may-be mounted;

Fig. 4' is an enlarged view looking at the rear end of" one' 'ofiny sockets.

Fig.' 5 is-an elevational view looking atanother method of mounting two of said sockets in opposed relation in installations where the tube isto bemounted either vertically or at any other desired-angle. I P

Fig. 6 1s an enlargedsideelevation-ofthespring or clip element-shownin other views.

2 Fig: 7' is'a si'deelevation of a modified em bodiment of m invention.

Referring to Figs; 1 'a'nd '2, in'whichone embodiment of my invention is illustrated, the

socket body is composed of two relatively flat plates or guards land 11 formed of non-conductive'material such as plastic or equivalent. Both saidplates'haveoppositely extending wings,

extensionsor lugs I l ll a' and l l -a integral with the-body portions thereof as shown in Fig. '1 so that-shoulders are formedatthe oppositeedges of' each side plates at-the junctures of the narrower body portions and said extensions.

The normally inner plate ll is-provided with arpair-of spaced apart holes l-2'in 'its'o'uterportion which are spaced to receive the end contact studs of standard types of fluorescent tubes.

The Wider adjacent portions of said plates I0 and I I areprovided with a plurality of holes (preferably three asindic-ated' in Figv 1). through which rivets lfi are passedandsecured; the heads of: the riyets being preferably on the outside face of plate HI.

A mounting. memberor connecting bracket l1 of relativelythi-n metal and having some -flexibility 'and bent'into' rounded and angular-cross section is secured by rivets It with one flat edge portionagainst'the noririally inside face of plate 15. The opposite'edg'e' or'flarige rm isapertured and extends substantially perpendicularly to the plane of plate ll) and provides a convenient means of mounting'the socket to a carrier Zllsuch as a'r'eflect'or, hood, base or other element to which the sockets are to be mounted. The form of securance may vary, though in the drawings, I

have showna bolt 21 (Fig. 2). Such mounting will hold the outer plates ID of a pair'of mountingsockets in positions substantially perpendicula'r to"-'the surface of thecarrierelement, desighatedinthe illustrationas 20. The carrier element 2 0',-in the-case of concave-convex reflecto'rs, -lio'ods or caps are provided with suitably spaced slots 1 (one 'theieo'f being designated as 23 in'Fl-g 2) of a sizeto pe-imlt insertion of the reduced ends of the sockets so that the shoulders of extensions Illa and Na 'will'a'ct as stops and aid in rigid mounting.

Mounted 'and impinged betweenthe plates l0 and 'I l area 1 pair'of' spaced apart terminal strips or terminal contact members-or strips M which extend from theprojecting normally outer end of the plates toa point beyond holes l5, said contactstrips 'beingx preferably slightly bent inweirdly" intermediate their" ends as indicated in- Eig'su-fl and fi; -Sueh bends'in'said conta'ct mem bers I 4 normally cause the outer reduced end portions to remain slightly spaced apart from plate 10, as indicated in Fig. 2, and thereby the outer portion of each of the contact strips M will normally press against the inner plate ll so that a space is provided between such outer bent ends to permit flexing of each of said contact strips toward the inside surface of the outer plates HJ when the fluorescent tube is mounted. This provides space behind each of said contact members so that the distances between the outer ends thereof and the outer plate Ill may be varied when mounting the fluorescent tube and permitting a person to push the two contacting studs 24 of a tube 25 against the two contact members of one socket and thence manually flexing the other socket away from the first socket and snapping in the opposite two tube studs into the holes ll! of the second socket, whereupon the spring tendency of the contacting members M of both sockets will cause the outer parts of such members to contact and press against the ends of the two pairs of tube studs at both ends of a fluorescent tube.

In order to maintain the metal contact strips M in proper spaced apart position, both during assembly and in the finished product, I preferably form a boss I4-a in each of said contact members at a point between the mid-portion thereof and the terminal portions I l-b. The portions I l-b are preferably offset angularly as shown at 25 in Fig. 6, and such angularly bent portions are seated in two edge recesses 21 of the inner plate I l. The projecting portions of said contact members preferably have apertures 28 to facilitate connection of circuit wires which connect the sockets to a conventional source of power in the usual manner.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated another embodiment of my invention wherein the non-conductive body of the socket is formed as a single piece, preferably by moulding a suitable plastic or equivalent non-conductive material in a form substantially the same as that hereinbefor described. Said non-conductive body 29 is formed with a pair of spaced apart longitudinall extending grooves, troughs, or recesses 30 which open to one side face of the body and in which are suitably mounted two of the contact members l4. One end of each of said contact members M are impinged and secured between the mounting bracket I1 and one end portion of said body 29 by means of a plurality of rivets 3| which extend through suitably spaced holes in said body 29 and in said bracket in the manner hereinbefore described.

In Fig. '7 I have shown the body 29 as provided with two pairs of optional integral lugs, bosses or extensions 32 which extend into each of the grooves 30 from opposite sides of each thereof and these are disposed above the bottom of grooves 30 so as to permit easy mounting of contact members It and retention thereof in inserted position.

The contact members I4 being bent outwardly at their free ends provide for flexing movement of the outer portions of said contact members l4 so that when two of said sockets are mounted to a carrier member such as a reflector, the tend ency of said spring-like contacting members M to return to the normal position (after being pressed inwardly into the grooves in which they are disposed) will cause such free ends of said contact members or clips [4 to press against the-'- ends of the studs of a fluorescent tube mounted between a pair of such sockets.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a novel form of channeled carrier member or connecting bar 33 which has its ends curved and offset as shown and which ends terminate in integral end plates 34 which are parallel to each other. A pair of slots or openings (not shown) are formed in the offset ends of carrier bar 33 into which the sockets previously described may be inserted and secured as previously stated, as for example by screws 2|. In installations where the fluorescent tube is to be mounted vertically, the lower end plate 34 is adapted to be secured to a base (for example a lamp base 35, only a fragment of which is shown in Fig. 5). The respective circuit wires, only parts of which are shown, are connected in the usual manner for fluorescent lamps, and those leading from the upper socket to the lower socket may be contained in the channel portion of carrier bar 33.

My invention provides a relatively inexpensive socket which has advantageous structural features which eliminate the need of rotating a fluorescent tube to properly mount it as is the case with presently known sockets, and which insures spring-pressed contact against the end studs of fluorescent tubes.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the embodiment of my invention herein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and nothing herein shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or any part thereof.

Iclaim:

1. In a socket for fluorescent tubes; a body composed of two substantially adjacent plates of non-conductive material, one of said plates being apertured; a flexible metal mounting bracket of angular section; means securing said plates and said bracket together; and a pair of spaced elongated flexible metal contacting members between said plates and having portions thereof accessible through said apertures of one of said plates, said contacting members projecting beyond the rear edges of said plates to provide for electrically connecting same to a power source, said contacting members being bent, the pressure of the adjacent plates against said bent contacting members causing said members to be flexed.

2. In a socket for fluorescent tubes; a pair of adjacent plates of non-conductive material, one of said plates having holes therein; a flexible metal mounting bracket of angular section; means securing said plates and said bracket together; and a pair of spaced apart metal flexible bent contacting members between said plates and having portions thereof accessible through said apertures of one of said plates, flexing of said contacting members into contact position occurring due to the pressure of said plates.

3. In a socket for fluorescent tubes, a body of non-conductive material, said body having a pair of spaced-apart side openings therein adapted to receive the contact studs of a fluorescent tube; a metal attaching bracket having its opposite end portions disposed angularly with respect to each other; said bracket providing means of mounting said body upon a carrier member; and a pair of bent flexible spaced apart metal contact strips in said body having end portions thereof adjacent said openings of said body, said contacting strips being connectable to a power source, said contacting strips being normally shielded by portions of said body, said body being flexibl mounted to permit transverse movement thereof with respect to a carrier on which the same is mounted, said contact strips being contactable because of the pressure of the component parts of said body on said contact strips.

4. In a socket for fluorescent tubes, a plurality of adjacent plates of non-conductive material having a space therebetween; one of said plates having a pair of spaced-apart openings therein; a pair of bent contacting strips mounted in the space between said plates and having parts thereof exposed adjacent said plate openings and a flexible metal bracket secured to one end portion of said plates, the pressure of said plates causing flexing of said strips into engagement with contact studs of a fluorescent tube; fastening elements securing said bracket and said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,296,114 Mueller et a1 Sept. 15, 1942 2,306,908 Stifiel Dec. 29, 1942 2,349,255 Epstein May 23, 1944 2,403,968 Dansereau July 16, 1946 2,436,250 Dansereau Feb. 17, 1948 

